Hydrocarbon motor



Aug. 25, 1931'. L. M. WOOLSON HYDROCARBON MOTOR Filed Dec. 8, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIONEL M. WOOLSON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN HYDROGARBON Moron 1 tors and particularly to mixture forming means therefor.

Most carburetors of today are designed to supply a standard mixture ratio of liquid fuel and air for all speeds and loads. It is a fact, however, that the mixture requirement for maximum power in a hydrocarbon motor is considerably richer in the matter of proportion of gasoline to airthan the mixture ratio which is the most efiicient in terms of power output per unit of fuel consumption. It is a fact also that whn idling the motor a rather rich mixture is required to compensate for the inevitable leaks past the pistons, throttle shaft, etc.

With the above facts in mind, the present invention has for one of its principal objects the provision of mixture forming and supplying means in which first, a fairly rich idling mixture is supplied, as when the throttle valve is nearly closed; second, a nearly correct mixture ratio is provided for accelerating and wide open running; and

third, a somewhat leaner mixture is provided for an automobile motor at car speeds between 15 and miles per hour, which may be termed cruising range speeds over substantially flat roads.

l 0 The means, broadly speaking, which the present invention provides for accomplishing the above object, is a float chamber depression means which becomes automatically inoperative to a large extent with open throttle and low speed, when pick-up and power are desired. This depression means is also automatically thrown out of OPGIZL- tion with the throttle in closed or idling position so that the normal mixture is then furnished. In other words, the depression means operates only on the lighter loads and the partially opened throttle.

Means are also provided for automatically controlling the degree to which the depres- Application filed December 8, 1920. Serial No. 429,180.

sion means may operate on the float chamber.

The present invention also has for one of its objects the rovision of means for limiting the float c amber depression of a carburetor, regardless of how that depression is obtained, and this means may be adjustable and it may be connectedto other operating parts of the carburetor or to the throttle valve so that the limiting means may operate to a greater or less degree depending upon the suction or the throttle opening.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation and part vertical section of the intake pipe and carburetor of a hydrocarbon motor, embodying one form of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with parts shown in elevation; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing another form of the invention.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 10 represents the cylinder block of a hydrocarbon motor and 11 is an elbow on the intake pipe connected to the cylinder block by bolts 12. A throttle valve 13 is arranged in the vertical branch of the intake pipe and a pipe 14 leads from a channel 15 in the stem of the throttle valve to an inlet 16 of a combustion heater. The combustion heater comprises a chamber 17 forming a jacket around part of the intake pipe 11 and the mixture supplied to this chamber is fired therein by a-spark plug 18 shown in Fig. 1. The outlet through which the burnt gases pass is shown at 18 somewhat above the throttle valve 13.

It will be understood that the suction above the throttle valve will draw a combustible mixture into the combustion chamher when the throttle valve is closed or nearly so and the burnt gases passing into the intake pipe will heat the mixture therein as it passes to the motor cylinders.

Connected to the lower end of the intake pipe 11 is a carburetor 19. In the form shown this carburetor comprises a fuel nozzle 20 surrounded by a Venturi tube 21, a main air intake 22 and an auxiliary air illtake 23. A float chamber 24 for supplying liquid fuel to the nozzle 20 is shown with the usual float 25 and valve 26. Also a cap 27 is rovided on the cover 28 and a vent 29 in t e cap admits air to the float chamber past the flat part 30 of the upper end of the valve 26.

The float mechanism above described retains the liquid fuel in the float chamber at approximately the level indicated, where it is slightly below the upper end of the nozzle 20.

For the purpose of slowing down or retarding the feed of fuel to the nozzle 20, a depression line is connected to the upper part of the float chamber 24, being in the orm of a conduit 31 leading upwardly to a cross channel 32 connecting with the interior of the intake pipe 11 just above the throttle valve 13. This suction line causes a depression or partial vacuum in the upper part of the float chamber 24 when the motor is running, particularly with only partly opened throttle. However, with the throttle wide open the depression in the intake pi drops so low that the vent 29 will be su cient to prevent any appreciable effect being produced in retarding the flow of fuel from the float chamber to the nozzle.

In order that the depression means may not operate to weaken the mixture when the throttle valve is nearly closed for idling, a vent 33, shown in Fig. 2, is provided in the conduit 31. This vent is normally closed by a spring pressed valve 34, the spring 35 of which is strong enough to hold the valve 34 closed at the maximum suction of the motor. An adjustable stop 36 is used to limit the wide open position of the valve 34, which stop also has another function that will be described below.

The throttle valve 13 is manually operated by an arm 37 and a link 38 and its wide open position is determined by a stop 39. A lug 40 on the arm 37 carries an adjustable bolt 41, the end of' which is adapted to strike a pin 42 on the valve 34 as the throttle valve 13 reaches its closed position. In Fig. 2 the throttle valve is shown in its closed position with the bolt 41 holding the valve 34 .open 7 so that the vent 33 will operate to break the partial vacuum in the conduit 31 and consequently in the upper part of the float chamber 24. It will be seen also that the adjustable stop 36 not only limits the opening movement of the valve 34 but it also limits the closing movement of the throttle valve 13 and this stop and the bolt 41 may be adjusted to bring about the desired cooperation between the closin of the throttle valve and the opening 0% the valve 34.

For the purpose of limiting the depression that may be maintained on the float chamber, a submerged vent means is provided in the form of a vertical chamber 43 arranged parallel to the float chamber 24 and connected with the latter near the bottom thereof, as by a port 44. The upper end of the chamber 43 is open to the atmosphere as through a channel 45, and the maximum limit for the partial vacuum in the float chamber is fixed by the depth of the submerged port'44. Thus if this vent 44 is one inch below the level of fuel in the float chamber it is then possible to secure a partial vacuum in the float chamber amounting to one inch of gasoline but no greater as air will then be drawn into the float chamber through the chamber 43. Hence the depression means which would be otherwise more or less delicate to handle, is definitely limited in its operation regardless of the depression that may be created in the intake pipe above the throttle valve.

In Fig. 3 the submerged vent means is shown as adjustable and it is also illus trated in connection with a carburetor having no other control than the adjustable submerged vent for determining the proportion of air and fuel. In this form the fuel nozzle of the carburetor is indicated at 50 and this is arranged in an air tube 51 which is fed by an air lntake port 52. As is well known, as the suction increases in a simple carburetor of this character the proportion of fuel increases, and it is necessary therefore to have some additional means for maintaining the desired ratio of gasoline to air. This is accomplished by the provision of a depression line 53 between the upper part of the float chamber 54 and the intake pipe 55, below the throttle valve 56 thereof, which depression means is controlled by a submerged vent means in the form of a pipe 57 extending through the cover of the float chamber 54 and opening at its lower end into the liquid fuel therein. This tube 57 is open to the atmosphere at its upper end and it is adjustable vertically so that its lower end may be raised or lowered in the liquid fuel. The tube is adjusted by a bell crank lever 58 and it is automatically moved with the throttle valve 56 as by a connecting link 59.

In Fig. 3 the throttle valve 56 is shown in its idling or nearly closed position, in full lines, and in this position the adjustable vent tube 57 is in its raised position with its lower end at the liquid level so that no depression can be pulled on the float chamber 54, the tube acting as a vent. As

the throttle valve 56 is opened the vent tube 57 will be lowered in the float chamber and the depression means therefore may pull more and more vacuum on the float chamber until the limit is reached by the full depression of the liquid in the tube 57 Thus in the latter case, with the higher vacuum in the float chamber the liquid fuel therein is retarded in its passage to the nozzle 50 and consequently the most nearly correct ratio of fuel and air is obtained.

It will be understood that various forms of the invention other than those described above may be used without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with the intake pipe and throttle valve therein, of a carburetor connected to the intake pipe and having a vented float chamber, means comprising a passage leading from the upper part of the float chamber to the intake pipe above the throttle valve, a vent valve controlling said means, and a submerged vent for said chamber.

2. In a hydrocarbon motor, having an intake pipe and a throttle valve therein, the combination wit-h a carburetor comprising a float chamber, means comprising a depression line connected to said float chamber, means actuated by said throttle valve for venting said depression line, and means comprising a submerged vent for said float chamber.

. 3. In a carburetor, the combination with an intake pipe and a throttle valve therein, of a suction line connected to the intake pipe and having a vent, a spring closed valve for said vent, an arm on said throttle valve adapted to contact with said vent valve and open the latter as the throttle valve is closed, and a stop for said vent valve adapted to also limit the closing action of the throttle valve.

4. A carburetor, comprising in combination with an intake pipe and throttling means therefor, a float chamber having a vented passageway leading into said intake pipe, a valve for closing the vent in said passageway, a spring adapted to close said valve means operatively connected to said throttling means for opening said valve, a stop for limiting the movement of said valve and throttling means and means including a submerged vent-operatively secured to said float chamber.

5. In combination with a hydrocarbon motor, .an intake pipe, a throttle valve in said pipe, and mixture forming and supplying means connected to said intake pipe, said means comprising a float chamber, said intake pipe being in communication with said float chamber through a vented passageway,

way, and means including a submerged vent for limiting the vacuum that may be pulled in said. chamber.

6. In combination with a hydrocarbon motor having an intake pipe and a throttle valve therein, a carburetor adapted to supply said motor with a rich mixture for idling, a lean mixture for cruising range speeds and a rich mixture for full open throttle, said carburetor comprising a float chamber, a nozzle in communication with said chamber for supplying the mixture, a depression line from the float chamber to the intake pipe, said depression line terminating above the throttle valve in said intake pipe, a vent valve in said line, said valve being adapted to opensaid depression line to atmospheric pressure at idling speeds, and a submerged vent in said float chamber for limiting the de ression that may be pulled therein.

In combination with a hydrocarbon motor, an intake pipe, a throttle valve in said pipe and mixture forming and supplying means connected to said intake pipe for supplying a lean mixture for cruising range speeds and a rich mixture for idling and full open throttle running, said means comprising a float chamber, a nozzle in communication with said float chamber for su plying a combustible mixture to said inta e pipe, a depression line extending from a point in the intake pipe, above the throttle valve, to said float chamber, a valve opening said depression line to atmospheric pressure, means for moving said valve to and from open position, and a submerged, vent in said float chamber for limiting the depression or vacuum that may be created therein through said depression line by suction in the intake pipe.

8. In a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with the motor intake pipe, of a carburetor. connected thereto and having a vented float chamber, a depression line from the float chamber to the intake pipe, a vent valve in said line and means automatically limiting the depression that may be maintained in the float chamber.

9. In a carburetor the combination with the float chamber having an air vent, of means for creating a depression in said float chamber, means includin a vent valve-for rendering said first name means ineffective, and means operable when a predetermined depression has been pulled in said chamber for definitely limiting said depression.

10. In a hydrocarbon motor, the combination with a carburetor comprising a float chamber, means comprisin a depression line at all times in communication with said float chamber, means for venting said depression line, and means comprising a chamber parallel to said float chamber and having communication therewith for limiting the depression that may be maintained in the float chamber.

11. A carburetor comprising a float cham- LIONEL WOOLSON. L

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